HEAT DOME in JULY

So the first half of July looked like this.

Clear skies and lots of heat. 

The grass turned crispy and yellow and we had to be diligent to keep the flowers watered so they would survive. 

There was  much heat in fact, that the trees were scorched and many spots in Canada were setting record high temperatures. 

It was something called a heat dome, but thankfully our air conditioning was working and we had a place to retreat if we began to melt. 

That didn't stop this little crowd from going for a hike to Angel Springs and having a BBQ on the back patio! 

Sweet Bethany introduced us to her beau and had to introduce herself to Oma quite a few times as well. 

Patrice was doing her two week stint here in Kelowna to help out with Mom and I was so touched, again and again to witness the kindness and patience with which she handled her Oma's care.

There are so many miracles to behold in life. 

Some are wild, wooly and spectacular, but this sweetness and the honour shown from a grand-daughter to her grandmother is a miracle on a whole other level.

Honour and faithfulness in the mundane is a very beautiful thing. 

God sees and is so pleased, I'm sure. 

The pups were given a salon treatment and came out looking several sizes smaller! 

...and so much cleaner.

Ladybug is still managing to get around but with her tumour on one foot and her back end not functioning properly she doesn't always make it up onto my bed which causes some degree of consternation.

She will pace around my bed trying to figure out how to get up and finally she will begin to shout for help if she can't make it on her own.

I have, on occasion, scooped her up with great difficulty but I don't think it's a particularly pleasant experience for her aging body.

Desperate times call for desperate measures!

She needed a sweater in her new shorn state to combat the cool air-conditioned indoor climate! 

My little darling doggie, living out her twilight years in comfort and extreme cuteness.

The picture below is somewhat noteworthy.

I was alone at home one day after Patrice had returned to the coast and Hannah was out on one of her adventures when I decided that I was tired of looking at a pile of laundry that needed to go downstairs.

I entered the elevator shaft with the laundry on my lap when suddenly the floor of the elevator crashed down about 6 or 8 inches when I wheeled onto and as a result I shot forward out of the wheelchair like a cannon.

It was quite providential that I had all that laundry on my lap to cushion the forward fall so I didn't break anything.

I weaselled my way around into a sitting position, managed to reach the button to get the elevator back to ground level and was grateful that the phone had also landed on the elevator floor.

There are always numerous things to be grateful for in almost any given situation! 

I called my neighbours and thankfully Terry and her daughter Kristy were gracious enough to come over and haul me back into my wheelchair. 

Not enough can be said for good neighbours! I've certainly been needing mine more frequently so thankfully I can rotate through them so all of the chores of helping me don't have to fall on any one of them.

These dear gals and I had a delicious  Butterfly evening at one of our favourite Thai dining spots. There was lots to discuss regarding the pandemic and how it's affected us all and lots of stories to share.  I can't remember why Lora couldn't be there but it might have had something to do with not feeling safe at the moment with the fluctuating restrictions and health precautions. 

It's been a challenging time for many, but thankfully my small life hasn't been too impacted at this point.

As you can see my backyard paradise patio keeps me entertained with wonderful guests, good food and even a game of Quirkle now and then! 

I've also had some fun redecorating my inner sanctuary with some large prints that I found while on a recent shopping trip to Vernon with Sue.

Amazing how inexpensive and delightful it can be to make a room feel new and exciting.

Vic and Marcia arrived just in time to help me get them up on the wall so my eyes can drink in these holiday scenes at a time in life when actual holidays away are not happening. 

So we have holidays at home!

Sadly, the smoke rolled in about the same time as Vic & Marcia, but we've learned to party on no matter what is happening around us as you can see by these bright, beautiful smiles!